Weight drop cold water to tropical?

[eelnoraa]

Even 10lb plate, you may be over weight with 3mm full suit and al80, or you maybe ok. It is a borderline number.. What plate do you have that is 10lb without any bold on?

 

[Peter_C]

Emily will need more than a 3mm shorty at that temperature :tongue2: Adeline would be happy in her 5mm, and I would be perfect in my 4/3mm. I got cold in 78 degree water on long slow dives, but you know I don't move much.

 

[tracydr]

At 80 degrees, I sometimes get cold with repetitive dives. I usually wear a thin hood and my 3 ml, I bring my 5 ml for night dives and if I get cold.

 

[TMHeimer]

Disclaimer: A proper weight check should be done before diving and required weight can vary greatly from
person to person !

Many divers with 3mm full wetsuit, jacket style BC, and aluminum 80 tank will be in the 12 to 14 pound range for their weighting.
I use 10 lbs with this same gear but this would probably be on the low side for many.

When diving a steel tank I reduce my weighting by 6 to 8 lbs and will use maybe 2 to 4 lbs when wearing a jacket style
BC and full 3mm wetsuit. This is with a steel tank.

Good disclaimer. With my shorty and AL80 (jacket BC) I need 18 pounds in salt water.

 

[eelnoraa]

It is obviously very much dependent on individual.

In full 3mm suit, (scubapro medium size), AL plate (2.1lb dry), Halcyon STA (1.5lb dry), I need 6lb of lead in salt water with AL80. That makes total balast of ~10lb.

As for wetsuit thickness, I dove thailand, 78F-82F, in 3mm full suit and felt a little cold toward the end of each day. Not unbearable, but I won't mind a 5mm or dry suit next time

 

[billt4sf]

Emily will need more than a 3mm shorty at that temperature :tongue2: Adeline would be happy in her 5mm, and I would be perfect in my 4/3mm. I got cold in 78 degree water on long slow dives, but you know I don't move much.

Wow, interesting comments on the water temp and wetsuits. I am glad I checked. I was basing it on what one operator told me "some people go in their swimsuit, others wear a 3mm shortie" I looked up the water temp in Key Largo and it is 83.5. We are going there and to St. Eustatius and Bonaire.

NDBC - Station MLRF1

My guess would be that I need at least 20 lbs ballast. I can't imagine that I would lose more than 14 lbs ballast (if that) going from a drysuit to a 3mm shortie (if that's what I end up with). Of course, I'd be delighted to be wrong!

- Bill

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Wow, interesting comments on the water temp and wetsuits. I am glad I checked. I was basing it on what one operator told me "some people go in their swimsuit, others wear a 3mm shortie" I looked up the water temp in Key Largo and it is 83.5. We are going there and to St. Eustatius and Bonaire.

NDBC - Station MLRF1

My guess would be that I need at least 20 lbs ballast. I can't imagine that I would lose more than 14 lbs ballast (if that) going from a drysuit to a 3mm shortie (if that's what I end up with). Of course, I'd be delighted to be wrong!

- Bill

6'6" 235 lbs with 10 lb plate and 3 mm shorty.... you will need somewhere between zero and 5-6 lbs of lead... Actually I predict 2 lbs will be about perfect..

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Some good tips and "guidelines" so far. The good news is that once you are "dialed" in, you'll know your basic "number" for future trips providing that your body weight remains consistant, the salinity is similar and that you basically utilize the same or similar equipment.

Better to be a couple lbs negative than the reverse as you can compenstate for negative bouyancy. So I would start out negative and adjust from there.


Some folks go the old PADI, "water at eye level on mask with a deflated BC and holding a normal breath.... and that might be a good starting point. But the ultimate goal, in my opinion, is to dial in the absolute minimum weight needed to comfortably hang at 15ft with an empty BC and 300psi in whatever type tank I am diving.


The 300psi is just for me.... Everyone else should be back in the boat or back on shore with no less than 500.

And..... don't ever run with scissors!

 

[James R]

I'm a few inches shorter than you and about 10lbs lighter. For warm water ocean diving all i need is my SS backplate (5lbs) for a 3mm full suit and AL80 tank. My buddy is about your height and weight and he uses 4lbs with his SS plate with a full 3mm.

My gf is just a bit lighter than Emily and she uses 4lbs with her SS plate when diving either her 3/2mm or 3mm full suit and a 5/3 hooded vest under (she gets cold quickly).

Based on the above, I would suggest if you are bringing your 10lb plate, try just that first. Depending on your comfort in the water and how negative your body is, you may need 2-4 more as some others have estimated. I would try the gf with 2-4lbs if her plate is 10, or whatever it takes to get 12-14lbs as a fist guess with her plate.

 

[billt4sf]

Based on the above, I would suggest if you are bringing your 10lb plate, try just that first. Depending on your comfort in the water and how negative your body is, you may need 2-4 more as some others have estimated. I would try the gf with 2-4lbs if her plate is 10, or whatever it takes to get 12-14lbs as a fist guess with her plate.

You really think I would drop 20 lbs of lead going from a drysuit to a 3mm shorty? I hope you (and others) are right! That would be truly wonderful.

There'a guy that pitches for the SF Giants ... Madison Bumgarner is 6'5", 240 lbs -- but his 240 and my 240 are not the same 240 !

- Bill